If you have fresh, juicy, raspberries and a few pantry ingredients, then you have to bake up a batch of these Homemade Raspberry Almond Scones. These classic heavy cream scones are made with fresh (or frozen) raspberries, a hint of almond extract, and topped with sliced almonds for the best nutty crunch. Suited to tea parties, brunch, or that special holiday!

Raspberry almond scones on a baking pan.

It's always sad when strawberry season ends, but we take comfort in knowing raspberry season is right around the corner. We have been busy making our raspberry toast on repeat, but now we're craving some sweet, comfort food.

We're a scone girl at heart. We find them easy to make, forgiving, and we don't have to worry about cutting them as we do with our biscuit dough. Whether you like scones savory or sweet you will be surprised how easy they are to make.

And don't worry, these homemade raspberry almond scones are the opposite of dry. They are flaky, buttery, and cake-like. Suited to slathering on your favorite spreads. And because they are full of pretty pink fruit they are the ideal treat for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or that special brunch!

These American-style raspberry almond scones use butter and heavy cream to keep them moist and flavorful. You likely have most of the ingredients on hand to start. Here is what you will need.

Close-up of raspberry almond scones on parchment paper.

Flour All-purpose flour.
Baking powder This is what gives the scones their rise.
Sugar White granulated sugar to sweeten the dough.
Salt a touch to balance out the sweetness.
Butter Unsalted, cold, and cut into small cubes so that it can mix into the flour.
Heavy cream A classic scone ingredient. Heavy cream keeps the scones moist and flaky.
Egg yolks we like to add yolks for richness.
Almond extract a touch for almond flavor.
Vanilla Compliments the raspberries and enhances the almond flavor.
Raspberries Fresh or frozen. Frozen raspberries work a bit better than fresh because they are easier to mix into the batter. If you use frozen raspberries, there is no need to thaw them first.
Egg wash we always use an egg wash. It helps add a nice sheen to the top of the scones and aids in browning.
Sliced almonds These will get sprinkled on top right before baking. They will get nice and crunchy in the oven!
Turbinado sugar For added crunch on top.

See recipe card for quantities.

Homemade scones are pretty easy to make and will rival any bakery scone. Make sure you don't overwork the dough. If using fresh raspberries, some will get squished when mixing, but that's ok! You will still get the good raspberry flavor, plus they turn a beautiful pink!

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400℉. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until combined.

Step 2. Add the cold, cubed butter and start to cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or 2 forks. The butter should resemble coarse peas.

Wet ingredients for raspberry scone batter.

Step 3. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the flour and butter. Add the raspberries and start to gather the dough into a mound.

Raspberry scone dough in a circle and cut into 8 even triangles.

Step 4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a circle and then flatten into a disk about 7 inches in diameter. Cut the circle into 4 even triangles, and then cut each triangle in two. You will have 8 even triangles.

Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and then place them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to get cold again. We like to pop them in the freezer to speed up the process.

Remove from the fridge, and brush the tops with the egg wash. Add the sliced almonds and turbinado sugar to the top. Bake in a 400℉ oven for 18-22 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Expert tip

Make sure your butter and heavy cream are cold before mixing them into the dough. You can pop the butter in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to help it along.

Substitutions and variations

Raspberry and almond are a classic flavor combination, but these scones could be customized with a few simple changes, especially if you don't have some of the ingredients.

Use milk or buttermilk instead of heavy cream. We would use at least 2% milk or higher for the fat content to keep them moist. This recipe was not tested on dairy-free or plant milk.
Swap in another berry instead of raspberries, such as strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries.
Play around with the extract flavors. You can omit the vanilla, add up to ½ teaspoon of almond extract, or go full vanilla.
Try adding some spices. Ground cinnamon or cardamom would work well.
Switch out the almonds for pistachios or another nut of your choice.
You can omit the nuts and sprinkle the tops (after the egg wash) with more turbinado sugar right before baking.

Serve it with

If you want to elevate your scones even more, serve them alongside some jam, butter, or clotted cream. Use store-bought jam or butter, or try one of our faves below.

You can also top with good ol' fashioned powdered sugar!

Raspberry almond scones on a baking pan sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Keeping leftovers

Scones are best eaten the day they are made, but can be kept for up to 3 days when stored well.

To store scones, make sure they are fully cooled first. Place a paper towel in the bottom of a lidded container large enough to hold your leftovers. Lay the scones on the paper towel, and avoid stacking them on top of each other. Cover with another paper towel. Seal with the lid, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

The paper towel helps to capture any moisture, which will prevent your scones from getting mushy.

To freshen up scones, you can place them in a 300℉ oven for 5-10 minutes.

Can we freeze scones?

Yes! Scones freeze pretty well, baked or unbaked. For baked scones, first allow them to cool. Wrap each one individually and place in a freezer-safe bag to prevent freezer burn.

For unbaked scones, carefully wrap each one in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe plastic bag. When ready to bake, you can allow them to thaw first or bake them frozen. add a few minutes of baking time to them.

Kitchen questions

What's the difference between American and British scones?

American scones typically contain more added flavors such as fruit, nuts, and spices. British scones are much plainer, resembling more of what Americans know as a Southern-style biscuit.

How do we get our scones to rise and be fluffy?

Make sure your butter is cold, and your baking powder is not expired. Don't overwork the dough when combining.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Ingredients

Makes 8

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
⅓ cup white granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher or fine sea salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, very cold and cut into cubes
¾ cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
¼ tsp almond extract
¾ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 egg mixed with tbsp water or milk for egg wash
⅓ cup sliced raw almonds
1 tbsp turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

Equipment

pastry blender
mixing bowls
whisk
baking sheet

Method

Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add the cold, cubed butter, and using a pastry blender (or two forks), press down on the butter, cutting it into the flour mixture. Continue doing this until the lumps of butter resemble the size of peas. The dough will look coarse.
In a second bowl, whisk the heavy cream, egg yolks, and extracts until just combined. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of the flour and butter ingredients.
Gently add in the raspberries, and start to gather the dough until it sticks together and forms a cohesive round. It will look coarse and shaggy but will stick together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a mound, and using your hands, press down and form a cohesive circle, about 7-8 inches in diameter (round). Using a knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise and then in half the opposite way, until you have 4 even triangles. Then cut each triangle into 2 even triangles. You will now have a total of 8 triangles.
Place each scone on the parchment-lined pan. Place in the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes to get cold again. Remove from the freezer and brush with the egg wash. Add the sliced almonds, pressing slightly until they stick. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool to a wire rack. Serve immediately with butter, jam or powdered sugar.

Kitchen notes

Scones are best eaten the day they are made, but can be kept for up to 3 days when stored well.
To store scones, make sure they are fully cooled first. Place a paper towel in the bottom of a lidded container large enough to hold your leftovers. Lay the scones on the paper towel, and avoid stacking them on top of each other. Cover with another paper towel. Seal with the lid, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
The paper towel helps to capture any moisture, which will prevent your scones from getting mushy.
To freshen up scones, you can place them in a 300℉ oven for 5-10 minutes.